LOS ANGELES, CA –
Alright lets start with this:
- I was at Game 7
- I was one of the people in the first 5 rows going ballistic when the Bruins took the 3-0 lead and stayed standing while watching the team fall apart right in front of me.
- I saw Savard tap his stick to come off. I saw that no one moved and then saw the too many men on the ice…
- I saw the worst collapse in Boston Sports History…
As you can tell I might be a little unhappy with all of this but now that the game 7 hangover has finally passed and I got that off my chest, lets start to talk about the upcoming NHL Entry draft on Friday.
The Boston Bruins have the number 2 overall pick that they acquired (stole) from the Phil Kessel trade. They also have picks 32 and 45 in the draft (they 15 until the Nathan Horton/ Dennis Wideman trade). The later picks won’t generate much intrest unless there is a trade (we will discuss that possibility in a bit), however the number 2 pick allows the Bruins to get whichever of the two “can’t miss” prospects that Edmonton doesnt select.
Taylor Hall (left) - Tyler Seguin (right)
These two prospects are Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, they are both great players and are ranked 1-2 by the Central Scouting Bureau.
Hall was a member of the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL and lead the team to consecutive Memorial cup victories (eliminating Seguin’s Plymoth Whalers from the playoffs along the way). Hall played amazingly during the playoffs and earned his second straight MVP award for his efforts. Hall is a Left Wing sniper so positioning must be considered.
Seguin is a better skater and is faster which makes him a dangerous threat in open space. He is a natural Center with playmaking and goal scoring capabilities.
My gut feeling is that the Bruins probably covet Hall much more then Seguin considering the depth they already have at center (it also doesn’t hurt that Hall’s agent is Bruins legend Bobby Orr). I also believe that Edmonton has the same feelings as to which player they would rather choose, but either player is going to be an immediate impact player and the Bruins will get a prospect that can bring some much needed scoring to the team.
Now that we have discussed what the Bruins can do with the number 2 pick lets take a look at what they can do with their other picks and some trades.
1. Trade up for Hall:
If the Bruins decide that Hall is who they need, they might need to convince Edmonton not to take him with the number 1 pick.
The Oilers are going to want a lot in return including, of course, the Bruins number 2 pick to take Seguin, one of the two second round picks, and probably one of the following: Zach Hamill, Blake Wheeler, or Mikko Lehtonen.
My take: Probably not going to happen, if Edmonton wants Hall bad enough then they are going to take him and Tyler Seguin will be your newest Boston Bruin.
2. Tim Thomas out of Boston?:
With the emergence of Tuukka Rask the days of Tim Thomas patroling the Boston net are definitely numbered. The idea of trading him is interesting because the Bruins might garner some interest from some high powered teams. The Washington Capitals were one goalie away from contending for the Stanley Cup and they have shown interest in Thomas in the past. The Rumor is they would part with Alexander Semin for a second round pick and Thomas.
My take: As much as I think that Tim Thomas should be a part of this team, if there is a chance to get a talent of Semin’s capabilities then the Bruins need to act and need to act quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if this deal went either way but I’m guessing it’s a no-go.
3. Savard and Wheeler for Defensive help:
With the trade of Dennis Wideman the Bruins need help on the Blue line. Johnny Boychuk is a free agent and Edmonton is ready to offer him a significant raise to go back home. I would love to see Boychuk back but if the money is too big Boston probably won’t match the offer. That leaves the Bruins with a huge hole. The idea of Savard and Wheeler for Kaberle has been bounced around but I don’t see it going very far.
My Take: I think the Bruins will trade Wheeler but it won’t be in a package with Savard. I see the Bruins looking for Kaberle for Wheeler and one of the second round picks.
4. Jason Spezza for the number 2 pick:
OK lets immediately say that unless the name in front of number 2 pick is Ovie, Crosby or Stamkos the Bruins will not be trading that pick.
END OF STORY!!
I will be back Friday to recap the draft and we can see what changes the Bruins have made!!!
Lets hope that they make some big trades and moves that will allow Bruins fans to look past the second round of the playoffs next year.
Wheeler and the #2 for Kaberle would be great. But not enough cap space for that deal
Boychuk signed a 2-year $3.75M contract yesterday.
Signing Boychuk was a very smart move. He is a good Defensive Defenseman and he also has a laser slap shot that can rival Chara. If he would have gotten into Free Agency, Edmonton would have offered him much more and he’d be gone. This gives the Bruins two top Blue liners in Chara and Seidenberg, and two second line blue liners in Boychuk and Stuart if they re-sign him too… sounds like two solid defensive pairings if you ask me…